The need for accessibility

Though not often thought of in terms of web sites, accessibility is just as important in the on-line world as it is in the physical world.

What is accessibility

The Director of the W3C, and one of the creators of the World Wide Web itself, Tim Berners-Lee, describes Accessibility as “access by everyone, regardless of disability”.

For the World Wide Web, accessibility means that people with a variety of disabilities can perceive, comprehend, navigate, and interact with the Web, and that they can also contribute to the Web.

Accessibility can also benefit people without disabilities in certain situations, such as people using a slow Internet connection, people with temporary disabilities such as a broken arm, and people with changing abilities due to aging.

People with a wide variety of physical, sensory, and cognitive disabilities can find a large portion of the World Wide Web very difficult, if not impossible, to use.

Most obstacles presented by the average web site can be easily overcome by an analysis of the existing content, and careful use of current web standards to modify the underlying code.

Benefits of Web Site Accessibility

• Financial gains and cost savings from increased Web use due to increased potential market share, search engine visibility, and increased usability;
• The public relations benefits of demonstrating social responsibility;
• Long-term savings from improved server performance and decreased site maintenance efforts.

Are you aware about accessibility?

Would you want to hear from experts in the field of accessibility?

Would you want to understand the needs of everyone when dealing with design of applications and the web?

Well join us on…

Date: 30th September 2009 (Wednesday) and 1st October 2009 (Thursday)
Time: 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM
Venue: Dewan Persidangan Universiti, (DPU) Universiti Sains Malaysia

Click HERE to register for this event.